Tag: Bible reading

  • Who Is James?

    Icon of James the brother of Jesus

    Yesterday morning, I was reading in the Epistle of James. As  Kathy and I discussed what I had been reading, the question of “who was James?” arose.

    What does the Bible say?

    James is identified as one of Jesus’ brothers. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? (Matthew 13:55, see also Mark 6:3)

    Jesus’s brothers did not believe. After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jewswere seeking to kill him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him.  (John 6:1-5)

    Jesus appeared personally to James after His resurrection. “Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.” (1 Corinthians 15:7)

    He was a key player in the Jerusalem council when the issue of rules for gentile believers was debated. (Acts 15)

    Paul calls James an Apostle.  “Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.” Galatians 1:18-19

    Paul also refers to him as a pillar in the early church. “…James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me; they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.” Galatians 2:10

    James himself only identifies as a servant of Jesus. “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: (James 1:1)

    Church history tells us that James was the first leader of the church in Jerusalem, effectively its first pastor. That comes through in the pastoral concern for his flock that shows in his letter.

    Church history tells us that he was most likely stoned to death by the Jews in the early 60s AD, a fate shared by Stephen and other martyrs.

    For me, James is a marvelous example of the grace of Jesus. The Lord took a hardcore unbeliever and transformed him into a willing servant and leader. The Apostle Paul gets mentioned often for being a hardcore Christian hater who was converted, but let’s not forget that Paul was not the only one.

    I pray for all the hardcore disbelievers (of which I was one) to come to Christ and that their zeal for the enemy might be converted into zeal for the Lord.

    Praise the Lord that He can soften the hardest heart.

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
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  • Wolves

    With two and four legs

    wolf pack in snow

    I have been blessed to see a few packs of wolves in the wild. I’ve  seen far more lone wolves than packs. Whether a lone wolf or a pack, I’ve always felt blessed to see them.

    I’ve heard the songs of wolves in the wild far more often than I have seen them. Their songs never fail to give me goosebumps. Their songs, particularly if they are coming from different directions around your campfire, are both beautiful and unnerving.

    Coyotes will also serenade at night. Their call is very different, and you would be highly unlikely to confuse the two, unless, perhaps, you had never heard a wolf pack.

    Both wolves and coyotes can be problematic for farmers, as they are not adverse to preying on livestock.  That creates a sort of love-hate relationship between the animals and the farmers.

    Wolves had been known to attack humans, but such attacks are extremely rare. There are fewer than 100 recorded attacks in North America since 1750.  Still, if you are interacting with them, caution is always advised.

    Wolves are mentioned in the Bible, both the four-legged and two-legged varieties. We are warned against the two-legged variety.

    “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Matthew 7:15-20 ESV

    Unfortunately, attacks by these wolves are not rare. Sometimes they can be found in your home church, striving to cut our little flocks for themselves. At other times, they can be the pastors or leaders of congregations.

    They preach other gospels than the one Jesus taught. They twist the teachings of the Bible to benefit themselves. Sometimes they teach just enough truth that the flock doesn’t notice the poisonous errors.

    Be on the lookout for them. Compare what you are being taught to the Bible and to the orthodox teachings the church has always held.

    We are blessed to have easy access to the Word and to the great theologians of both yesterday and today. We have the Spirit to teach us how to discern truth from error.

    Know what the truth is for yourself.

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

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